


Practice Makes Perfect

by SuburbanSun



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Drunk Jemma, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Near Future, Nervous Jemma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-17 00:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3508109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuburbanSun/pseuds/SuburbanSun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jemma’s a nervous wreck as she prepares to go on her first date with Fitz, but if there’s one thing she knows, it’s that she excels at preparation. </p><p>(Fitzsimmons Parks and Rec “Practice Date” AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Practice Makes Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> I made a new Agents of P.A.W.N.E.E. photoset on Tumblr (http://felicity-smoaking.tumblr.com/post/113020318737/), and then decided I loved the idea of Skye helping Simmons prep for her date too much to leave it at that. 
> 
> This takes place in a future where Fitz and Simmons have worked through their issues, and everything isn’t so fraught. Sorry, current canon, but you stress me out.

“You’ve eaten dinner with Fitz, what, nine _million_ times? Why are you so nervous now?”

Jemma shot Skye a withering look from her spot in front of the bunk’s mirror. “I am _not_ nervous.” She turned back to her reflection, gathering her hair up into a loose ponytail before crinkling her nose and letting it fall to her shoulders again.

“Yeah, okay,” said Skye. “Hey, Jem, I think your phone just lit up. Is Fitz texting you?”

“What? It did?” Jemma practically dove for the phone on her dresser. She snatched it up but it slipped out of her hand. She caught it with the other before fumbling it again, and this time it clattered to the floor. She grimaced as she picked it up again before meeting Skye’s smug gaze.

“It’s just…” She tucked her hair behind her ear and bit her lip. “It’s never been a _date_ before. ”

“Well, I know that. But still. It’s _Fitz_."

“What does that mean?”

“It means… you guys got through a lot of shit this year. Like, an ungodly amount of shit.” Skye pulled her knees to her chest where she sat on Jemma’s bed. “I think you can handle one little date.”

Jemma sighed and flopped onto the bed beside Skye. “I know you’re right. But if we’re being honest, I’m kind of a nervous wreck right now.” She furrowed her brow. “What if it doesn’t go well? What if it’s awkward? What if we run out of things to talk about and he accuses me of only asking him out because I’m secretly working undercover for Hydra?”

“He would never do that!” Skye leaned forward to get a better look at Jemma. “I mean, you’re not, right?”

“Skye, no!”

“Of course you’re not! See, that’s crazy!”

Jemma let her head fall back against the wall, thumping it a few times for good measure. “This is going to be a disaster. I don’t even remember the last time I went on a date.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure it’s been awhile for Fitz, too.”

Jemma smiled fondly. “Fitz’s social calendar wasn’t exactly full even before we joined Coulson’s team.” She idly passed her phone back and forth between hands as she spoke. “You’re right. You’re right! I just feel like I’m going to forget how to form words, or how to read romantic signals, or accidentally start singing showtunes at the table or something.”

Skye frowned. “Has that been known to happen?”

“No one should be expected to go on a first date the day after seeing Wicked for the first time, Skye,” Jemma said seriously.

Skye chuckled, her laughter dying when she realized Jemma was telling the truth. She smiled supportively. “Look, I think you’re going to be _fine_.”

Jemma let her phone drop to the bed and wrung her hands together. “But what if--”

“ _But_ \-- but would it make you feel better if we went on a practice date? You and me. I’ll play Fitz, and you can… I don’t know, work out all the kinks on me.”

Jemma raised an eyebrow.

“Not like that!” Skye laughed. “I’ll let you save that for Fitz.” Jemma blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear again as Skye continued. “Come on, your date isn’t until tonight. Go change into something cute, and I’ll grab us some lunch, maybe some beers, and meet you in that back room with the little kitchenette.”

“Yeah?” Jemma looked at her gratefully, sitting up straighter.

“Yeah,” Skye grinned, then pointed at Jemma, eyebrows raised. “Don’t be late.”

 

\---

 

“Skye?” Jemma pushed open the door of the back room and peered in to see Skye sitting at the kitchenette’s small bar, an array of snacks set out before her. A smile on her face, Jemma shut the door and went to join her.

“You’re late,” Skye said flatly. Jemma’s smile faltered.

“Oh. I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure what to wear--”

“And you went with that?”

A pause. “No need to be _rude_ , Skye.”

Skye rolled her eyes, then stage-whispered, “I’m _Fitz._ ”

“Oh!” Jemma’s expression brightened. “Got it. Hello, _Fitz_.”

Once they were both seated at the bar, Skye reached behind her to produce an enormous bottle of wine. “There wasn’t any beer-- Hunter said something about needing it all for a MarioKart tournament-- so I snagged this.”

“Lovely.” Skye poured them each a generous glass of wine, and Jemma took a long sip of hers. Even a fake date with fake-Fitz managed to unsettle her nerves.

“Okay, so. Let’s get right down to it. What d’you want to talk about?” Skye dipped a tortilla chip in salsa and popped it into her mouth.

“Oh! Perfect. Well, as you know, _Fitz_ , I excel at preparation, so I’ve brought a few conversational flashcards.” Jemma pulled a small stack from her back pocket and tapped them on the countertop. “You know, just to keep things moving along.”

Skye stifled a laugh. “Okay, let’s hear ‘em.”

Clearing her throat, Jemma held up the first flashcard. “New discoveries in particle physics.”

“Boo. Boring. Next.”

Jemma frowned. “Well, I rather think Fitz would like that one, but okay.” She flipped to the next notecard. “Causes of colorblindness.”

“Nope, sorry. Next.”

“My recent findings in the lab?”

“Too much work talk. What else?”

“Um…” Jemma looked at the next card. “Well, this one says ‘ _his_ recent findings in the lab,’ so I guess that one’s out, too?”

Skye sighed, leaning on the countertop with her elbow. “This is normal FitzSimmons talk. Stuff you guys talk about over Bunsen burners or whatever in the lab all the time. You’re going on a _date_ with the guy, Simmons! You’ve got to talk about something sexy, or at least something kind of romantic.”

“I’m fairly certain that Fitz finds particle physics _quite_ sexy, but… maybe we could talk about… music?”

“That’s perfect!” Skye poured more wine into Jemma’s glass, then took another sip of her own. “But you already know what kind of music each other likes, right?”

Jemma frowned, brows knitting together. “Skye, this is going to be a catastrophe.” She took a big gulp of wine.

“No! No, it’s not. Just… I don’t know, you can’t know _everything_ about each other, right? So ask him questions! What do you want to know about him?”

“I don’t know, Skye....”

“Come on, first question that comes to your head.”

After another long sip, Jemma set down her glass. “How big is it?” She immediately cringed. “I didn’t mean that.”

Skye giggled, sipping her own wine slowly and nibbling a piece of cheese. “You so did.”

“Oh God, oh God. I’m totally going to say something like that, aren’t I? And I’m going to offend him somehow, and it’s going to undo all the work we’ve done to rebuild our relationship, and...”

“Simmons, you’re spiraling.”

“Easy for you to say! You’re not about to embark on the world’s worst date with someone that you might already be in love with!” Jemma tugged at the ends of her hair, biting her lip.

“Aww… that’s so sweet!”

“So not the point, Skye. What if it’s horrid and… and then it’s all ruined?”

Skye reached out to put a comforting hand on Jemma’s shoulder. “You’re not going to ruin things with Fitz, okay? But alright, how about we worst-case-scenario this shit?”

Jemma looked curious. “Okay…”

“So now I’m back to being Fitz.” Jemma nodded, finishing her glass of wine and pouring herself another. Skye cleared her throat and lowered her voice a bit. “Thanks for picking the restaurant, Jemma. It kind of sucks though."

“What? But you love Italian.”

Skye leaned on her elbow again, rolling her eyes derisively. “You’re confused. I love _Italians_.” She looked up and gestured at an imaginary woman walking by. “Like this broad over here. Hey, hot stuff.”

Jemma furrowed her brow again. “Hot stuff?”

“Yeah, I thought maybe we could invite her back with us. For _later_.”

“I hardly think that’s--”

“ _God,_ you’re boring.”

Jemma exhaled and pursed her lips. “I’m sorry, Fitz. What would you like to talk about?”

Skye tapped out a rhythm with her fingertips on the countertop, trying to look as bored as possible. “Science I guess. But only the good kind. Engineering and shit. Not biochemistry, that’s for sure.”

Jemma looked affronted. “I didn’t think you… hang on, are you _texting_?” Skye looked up from her phone, annoyed.

“Yeah. I’m seeing what my bros are up to tonight after I get out of _this_ nightmare.”

“Your bros? You mean Mack and Hunter?”

“Yeah, sure. Anybody, really. I’m not picky at this point.”

Jemma wrinkled her nose and took another big gulp of wine. “Listen,  _Fitz_ , I don’t understand why you’re being so _mean_. If you didn’t want to go on a date with me, you could have said something.” She set her glass down and crossed her arms. “I just wanted to… to spend some time alone with you. It’s just a date. It’s supposed to be fun.”

Skye let her affected ‘callous boy’ persona drop and pointed at Jemma, smiling widely. “Exactly.”

“Huh?”

“I was just trying to prove a point. There’s no _way_ Fitz is going to say _any_ of those things to you tonight.”

Jemma scowled. “So why did you say them to me now?”

“To get you to realize that it’s just you and Fitz, being yourselves, spending time together. You’re not going out with someone who might hit on the waitress behind your back or spend the whole night texting his bros. You’re going out with _Fitz_.”

A tiny smile on her face, Jemma looked down at her lap. “Yeah. I am.”

“And even if it _did_ go horribly-- you’ll be okay. You can handle it.”

Jemma smiled wider. “Yeah, I can.”

“And he _loves_ you.” Skye cocked her head to the side. “Sorry-- likes you? I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. Most people don’t know each other for ten years, admit their feelings, then essentially break up and get back together all before going on their first date.”

Jemma’s eyes widened, and Skye was afraid she was about to start spiraling again. “No, but it’s okay! Tonight is going to be great.”

“Yeah.” Jemma nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah!”

“So what are you going to do until the date tonight?”

Jemma hopped off her stool, wobbling a bit before grasping the countertop. “I’m going to go tell Fitz it’s gonna be great!”

“Yeah! Wait-- Simmons, what?”

Halfway out the door, Jemma turned back. “Thanks for being my Skye, Fitz. My Fitz, Skye, I mean. Not that he’s my Fitz! Anyway--” And then she was gone, door swinging shut behind her.

Skye leaned back against the bar, reeling from Jemma’s quick exit. Shrugging, she finished the last of her first glass of wine and reached for the bottle, figuring she might as well enjoy a long lunch. When she picked it up, though, she realized it was almost empty.

“What the hell?” She’d only had a glass. That meant-- “Ah, crap.”

 

\---

 

“Fitz!” Jemma slapped her palm against his bunk door. “Fitz, can I come in?”

After what seemed like forever to her, he opened the door, looking bewildered. “Jemma?”

“Yes, it’s me.” She pushed past him into the room, and he shut the door behind them. “Hi.”

“Hi?”

She tried to lean her hip against his dresser casually but misjudged the distance and had to snag the top of it with her hand at the last second to catch herself. She shook her head. “I just wanted to tell you that… tonight’s going to be great.”

A smile tugged at his lips as he put his hands on his hips. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah. You’re not going to hit on _any_ waitresses.”

His smile dropped. “Why would I--”

“And I’m not going to ask you about your penis.”

He pressed his lips together, the tops of his ears flushing at that comment. “Okay?”

“And we’re just going to talk, like two people who haven’t known each other a million years and who don’t need conversation flashcards.”

Fitz’s eyes darted to his desk, where he’d scratched a quick list of conversation topic ideas for the night on a pad. She didn’t have to know about that. “Right.”

“I mean, tonight’s not going to be a disaster, right?”

Fitz shuffled backwards until he reached his bed, sitting down. “I mean-- you asked me to go, so I figured you wanted to… but if you don’t…” He traced circles on the fabric of his comforter with his thumb.

Still leaning against his dresser, her eyes widened. “No! I want to! I just-- I was nervous, and Skye helped me. We ate food and she was mean and now I feel better.”

“She was mean?” Fitz squinted up at her, taking in her appearance. “Jemma, are you drunk?”

“No!” He raised his eyebrows. “Yes! Maybe tipsy? Skye brought wine to our fake date.” He stood, crossing to stand in front of her and gently taking her by the elbow.

“Let’s have a seat.” She let him lead her to his bed, and sat down beside him, leg pressed up against his own. “You were nervous about tonight?”

Jemma nodded, slumping against him so that her shoulder touched his, too. “I mean, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. And you’re _you_.”

He chuckled, tentatively putting his arm around her. “I don’t think you need to worry about impressing me, Jem.” She blinked up at him, gaze soft.

“I don’t?”

“Never.”

“Okay.”

They sat there like that for a few moments, his fingertips running up and down her upper arm. Then Jemma craned her neck to look at him. He met her gaze.

“There’s just one more thing I’m nervous about.”

“What’s that?”

Her eyes flickered down to his lips. “The goodnight kiss.” He sucked in a breath, now finding himself unable to avoid looking at her own lips.

“You’re nervous about it?”

She looked him in the eye again. “It would just make me feel better if we could… maybe have a practice kiss.

“You didn’t practice that with Skye, too?” He couldn’t help but tease her a bit. After all, he thought, this could be the only time he felt more secure about something than she seemed to.

“Didn’t quite get to that part.”

“Well okay.” He let his arm drop from her shoulder, scooting back so that he could fully face her on the bed.

“A practice kiss. Then when it’s time for the real thing, we won’t be nervous. Right?”

He nodded, swallowing. His mouth felt dry, and he definitely didn’t want that if he was about to kiss her, practice or not.

“Okay. So time for practice. One…” She leaned forward, one hand coming out to splay on the bed to support her weight. “Two…” He licked his lips, eyes flickering down to hers once more. “Three…”

Their lips met, soft and slow at first, both leaning in with their hands braced on the bed. After a moment, Fitz brought one hand up to brush along her jaw, and she slid one of hers onto his thigh as her lips moved against his. His mouth opened hesitantly, and her tongue met his as she moved her other hand to his upper arm, holding him close.

When they broke apart, it was only to breathe. Jemma’s eyes were still closed, and Fitz’s were half-lidded as he watched her. He took a shuddering breath, fingertips trailing down her neck to her shoulder. “Good practice,” he whispered.

She slowly opened her eyes, a smile forming on her lips. “Practice makes perfect.” She slid her hand up to cup the back of his neck and brought him in for another languid kiss.

When they finally made it to dinner that night, two hours later than was planned, they’d managed to fit in quite a bit of practice.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Want to chat on Tumblr? I'm unbreakablejemmasimmons over there!


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